Month: September 2020

My Bilingual Experiences

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For me, being bilingual is something I see as an advantage. Being able to speak 2 languages is always better than 1 and it also makes me special as it is part of my identity and reminds me of where I come from. I speak Bahasa Indonesia and English fluently and have different ways of speaking as sometimes I tend to speak in a mix of both languages depending on who I am talking to. Many years ago when I was a middle schooler, I had a similar experience to what Amy Tan had described in her essay ‘Mother Tongue’. It was a number of years ago when I was in middle school, I was speaking in front of an audience which consisted of a lot of parents, and my mom was there. I was speaking during an assembly and I had a kind of weird feeling by knowing that my mom was in the audience and I barely spoke any English with her which is why it felt quite foreign. 

 

When I was new to UWCSEA 2 years ago, another thing had happened which reminded me of how different I was even though I was trying to make friends with the Indonesian people who were in this school and I had remembered the first time I spoke with them. I could already tell that from the way they spoke in Bahasa they weren’t as advanced as I was. When I got to speak they could barely understand a thing I said just because of the pace I was speaking at and some of the words I was using they were unfamiliar with. I realized this is because although they were Indonesian, none of them actually lived in Indonesia at all, unlike me who lived there for 14 years before coming to UWCSEA. What’s interesting is that just from the background that I had and came from really effects the way I speak and the language I use, and what’s even more interesting is that since that time which was 2 years ago, they have caught up and can almost speak as well as me.

PSE Reflection 1

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1. Reflect on your successes from the first half term of the year.  What things have you done well in terms of taking care of your wellness and academic growth?

From the first half of the term so far, I am feeling great about IB as I feel I have already made improvements after transitioning from IGCSE. I have been already been managing my work better and submitting deadlines on time which is a big improvement from last year. Another weakness I had last year was also my organization, as I often lost some of my booklets and had trouble finding some of my google docs sometimes. I have definitely improved my organization as I have google folders now where I put my files and it is very convenient.

2. There is always room for improvement in everything that we do.  In the second half of the term, what actions will you take to improve your wellness and academic growth?

I think the most important thing that I will have to improve and maintain is sleeping at least 7-8 hours everyday. Sleep is what will get me through the day easily and more energy which is my its very important and I will try my best to maintain a good sleep schedule. Something I have already been doing and want to keep doing for the whole of IB is to be prepared fully for every class, which means always reading material on what we are going to learn and understanding key terms before going into class.

3. What have you learned about yourself in PSE?

Some things that I have started realizing and knowing about myself in PSE are the ways that I collaborate and work together in a group. I have realized I am the type of guy that doesn’t rush things and make sure everybody shares their ideas and as a group decides what idea will be chosen.

A Smartphone

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Everybody has common knowledge about what a smartphone is and what it is capable of. Some people use it as a tool for finding information, some use it for social media and communicating with others, and some even use smartphones for entertainment such as watching videos or playing games. Those are all positive uses and beliefs, but there are some people that have negative beliefs towards smartphones. For example, some people believe that the use of smartphones corrupts our minds and will have negative impacts on us. They think it can cause addiction and would make us lazier as people. Some also think it affects our eyes by looking at screens for too long. So a smartphone is a controversial object with the different opinions people have on it and its effects.

First Session of TOK

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After my first session of TOK, I feel like it will be something I look forward to every week as it is a relaxing class where we have the opportunity to think hard and deeply about certain things. Especially since it is in our very last block in our week, it is a good way to end a Friday and start the weekend.

To me, a belief is something that people have and it comes from the values that they have. So people have different opinions based on the different beliefs and values they have and the different values and beliefs that people have shapes their identities.

Conceptual Question: What is Pain?

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Pain is a feeling that all humans will eventually feel once in a while, either mentally or physically. It is a negative feeling that can be caused by countless distinct factors. Constantly feeling pain can lead to suffering from mental disorders such as anxiety or depression.

Pain is a feeling that people can’t control when and when not to feel. Pain takes away our ability to feel happiness and joy in our lives for a period of time, and how long it lasts depends on how severe it is or how people treat their pain. Some people aren’t able to treat their pain by themselves and get special help from therapists. Multiple people just ignore the pain they are feeling and just eventually move on from it. So it depends on the person experiencing the pain since everyone has different ways of handling it.

Pain may be a negative feeling, but it also has its benefits. Suffering from pain will teach you a few lessons and how you can avoid making the same mistakes again. It is a normal thing to experience once in a while as it will make you stronger as an individual after you have gotten over it.